policy alerts

To sign up for our advocacy and action alerts, please click here.

Some of Our Previous Alerts and Actions:

 

June 19, 2019: There’s still time to sign and share our online action to push for a #BudgetToEndHomelessness (and PDF)

June 12, 2019: Please sign and share our new online action on homelessness prevention, housing, and benefits programs in the Conference Committee’s FY’20 budget proposal (and PDF)

May 14, 2019: Take action with us! Please ask your State Senator to cosponsor key homelessness prevention, housing, and benefits amendments to improve upon the FY’20 Senate Ways and Means budget (and PDF)

May 2, 2019: Thank you for your advocacy on homelessness, housing, and benefits issues: Updates on the budget, lifting the “Cap on Kids”, and Youth Count 2019 (and PDF)

April 17, 2019: Budget amendment updates + Youth Count 2019: Take action with us! (and PDF)

April 11, 2019: Take action to help strengthen homelessness prevention, housing, and benefits programs in the House’s FY’20 budget (and PDF)

April 1, 2019: One day away! Speak up for a strong budget on homelessness and housing issues at tomorrow’s public hearing on the FY’20 state budget (and PDF)

March 22, 2019: Speak up for a strong budget on homelessness and housing issues: Join us April 2nd for a public hearing on the FY’20 state budget (and PDF)

March 15, 2019: Thank you for being part of Legislative Action Day 2019 (and PDF)

February 1, 2019: Final day: Please take action with us today by helping secure legislative cosponsors on priority bill campaigns on homelessness, housing, and benefits (and PDF)

January 28, 2019:Please take action by cosponsoring priority bills on homelessness, housing, and benefits- message to legislators 

January 24, 2019: Take action with us by helping secure legislative cosponsors on priority bill campaigns on homelessness, housing, and benefits (and PDF)

January 17, 2019: Register today for Legislative Action Day 2019, endorse our policy campaigns, and see the latest report on youth homelessness (and PDF)

January 2, 2019: New year, renewed efforts to pass the Mass ID Access Bill to ease access to ID cards for people experiencing homelessness (and PDF)

June 19, 2018: Please join us this Sunday, June 24th for a special forum on homelessness and sign our one-minute online action today! (and PDF)

June 13, 2018: Please sign our one-minute online actionto strengthen the state’s response to homelessness. housing instability, and poverty via the FY’19 Conference Committee budget (and PDF)

May 25, 2018: Thank you for your Senate amendment advocacy! The Senate budget is now finalized. (and PDF)

May 11, 2018: The Senate Ways and Means budget has been released. Learn more and take action on key proposed amendments (and PDF)

April 23, 2018: Today’s the launch of Massachusetts Youth Count 2018 and the House FY’19 budget debate (and PDF)

April 18, 2018: It’s not too late to take action with us! Ask your Representative to cosponsor key homelessness prevention, housing, and benefits amendments to the House’s FY’19 budget (and PDF)

February 12, 2018: Reminder: Join us tomorrow (Tuesday, 2/13) for a training call to prepare for our 2/27 Legislative Action Day

February 5, 2018: Join us next Tuesday, 2/13 for a training call to prepare for our 2/27 Legislative Action Day (and PDF)

February 1, 2018: Good news to kick off February: FY’18 RAFT homelessness prevention program expansion begins today (and PDF)

January 25, 2018: Take action! Weigh in on the FY’19 state budget to reduce homelessness and housing instability (and PDF)

January 23, 2018: Please sign and share our one-day only action to improve the housing bond bill (and PDF)

December 28, 2017: Take action with us calling on Governor Baker to release FY’18 homelessness funds

June 8, 2017: One minute online action to your State Representative and Senator in support of key homelessness, housing, and benefit program priorities in the FY’18 Conference Committee budget

June 6, 2017:Take action to help ensure the strongest possible FY’18 budget for homelessness, housing, and benefits programs (and PDF)

May 22, 2017: Please ask your State Senator to cosponsor and actively support key homelessness, housing, and benefits amendments! (and PDF)

May 16, 2017: Senate Ways and Means has released its FY’18 budget recommendations, including many strong proposed investments in homelessness and housing programs (and PDF

May 11, 2017: Please sign our online action to your State Senator in support of key budget priorities and be part of Massachusetts Youth Count 2017 (and PDF)

May 10, 2017: One-minute online action to your State Senator in support of key homelessness, housing, and benefit program budget priorities in advance of the Senate budget release/debate in support of key homelessness, housing, and benefit program budget priorities in advance of the Senate budget release/debate

May 15, 2017: Join us for an important bill hearing tomorrow and sign our online action to your State Senator in support of key budget priorities

May 1, 2017: Taking action to understand and end youth homelessness: Be part of Massachusetts Youth Count 2017

April 13, 2017: Action update: Please ask your State Representative to cosponsor key homelessness prevention, housing, and benefits amendments today!

April 10, 2017: Take action to improve homelessness prevention, housing, and benefits funding in the House version of the FY’18 state budget

March 23, 2017: Homelessness and housing advocacy updates: A look at the FY’17 supplemental budget and the FY’18 budget advocacy opportunities

December 20, 2016: Take action to pass the bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness: Ask your state legislators to sign onto Rep. Pignatelli’s letter today

September 9, 2016: One-minute online action in support of passing House Bill 1129 to create a bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness

Early Summer 2016: We have three different one-minute online actions for you to take, focused on supporting the Coalition’s overall FY’17 budget priorities (updated 6-21-16), expanding the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) homelessness prevention program (updated 6-2-16), and passing House Bill 529 to improve the Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC) program. Please take three minutes and sign each of them!

June 21, 2016: There’s Still Time to Weigh In! Help Advocate on Housing, Homelessness, and Safety Net Issues as the Legislature Finalizes the FY’17 State Budget

June 9, 2016: The Time is Now: Help Shape the FY’17 Conference Committee Budget! Advocate with Us for Housing and Homelessness Programs

June 2, 2016: Looking Ahead to Fiscal Year 2017:The Conference Committee Members Have Been Named to Iron Out the Differences Between the House and Senate Versions of the FY’17 State Budget

For action alerts and updates from 2011-2015, please go to https://mahomeless.org/advocacy/item/action-alert-archives.

Click here for nightly data on the EA program from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, and here for monthly EA-related data, including on the reasons families needed to enter the shelter system. Quarterly data from DHCD, from FY’13 to the present, also is available through this link.

During state fiscal year 2017, 4,860 families were assisted with emergency shelter and/or HomeBASE diversion assistance, out of the 9,124 families that completed applications for assistance. For fiscal year 2016, 5,609 families were approved for EA and HomeBASE diversion benefits and 3,314 families were denied assistance. More data on the EA and HomeBASE programs can be found here, as well as in this February 2017 report from the Boston Foundation.

For additional data, follow this link to the Department of Housing and Community Development’s EA page and see our Basic Facts page.